Builders broke ground on more new homes in March

MSNBC: Builders broke ground on more new homes in MarchWeak housing market gets slight boost at start of spring buying season

Builders broke ground on more new homes last month, giving the weak U.S. housing market a slight boost at the start of the spring buying season.

Home construction rose 7.2 percent in March from February to a seasonally adjusted 549,000 units, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Building permits, an indicator of future construction, rose 11.2 percent after hitting a five-decade low in February.